If Only to Stop
by KrystalBlaze - Jerikor
Summary: Merrill thought the aliens were gone. Finally it was over. It was what everyone thought. Until they found out Merrill was being controlled by one. How far will Graham go to get his brother back? And what will be the price he must pay?


Whoa. I actually wrote a Signs fanfiction. My muse just wouldn't let me stop. This is a really quickie. This is the first part. There will be one other part. I hope you like this one.  
  
/ / = italics.  
  
IF ONLY TO STOP  
  
PART ONE  
Graham watched Merrill as he walked slowly up the stairs, his heart pounding. His brother stopped, looked to the right and then to left, then started off in the direction of left. His chest felt tight. He was frightened for Merrill and for his son. Were the aliens gone? Morgan needed his medicine.  
  
The minutes passed. He waited, the seconds counting in his mind.  
  
"Where's Uncle Merrill?" Bo whispered.  
  
"Ssshh, Bo." He strained his ears.  
  
As Graham was preparing to call out for his kid brother, he appeared at the platform at the top of the stairs. His eyes looked weary and blank. He nodded quickly. It was enough for Graham. He trooped up the stairs quickly, glancing at Merrill as he charged by. "Get the syringe." He proceeded to the living room and dumped Morgan on it.  
  
"Can you hear me? Morgan?" His voice was panic tight.  
  
"Dad?" Morgan whispered hazily.  
  
Graham swept his son up in a huge hug, crushing his little body with his own.  
  
"Dad!" Bo came running into the living room. The former reverend turned his attention to his daughter, gently putting Morgan back to the couch. "The people on TV are doing this." Bo executed a stunning dance movement.  
  
"They're doing what?" Graham asked, smiling.  
  
"They're doing this." She executed the move again.  
  
"Ah." He looked at his son. "Do you want to see?" The boy nodded. His father walked to the closet, unplugged the TV, and rolled it into the living room. He plugged it in and turned to look at his son. He switched the TV on and flopped onto the couch, taking his children in his arms.  
  
"New facts are being learned about these alien visitors," the news anchor said. "One scientist states that he believes the aliens to be able to morph and take control of human bodies. Another believes they are shape-shifters. And still, another believes that they can fly and turn into inhuman objects. We do know that the aliens were able to hold poison in their bodies. Whatever powers they processed, we are just glad they're gone."  
  
"So am I," Graham sighed in contentment. He realized Merrill had not returned with Morgan's medicine. "Merrill! Merrill, where's Morgan's medicine?"  
  
Merrill did not answer. "Merrill!" Agitated, Graham got up from the couch and went into the kitchen, where he found Merrill standing at the door to the refrigerator, looking in. "Merrill, what's wrong?"  
  
His little brother suddenly snapped his head up. Graham let out a cry. His eyes were a dark, angry mixture of brown and blue, a far call from his gentle green eyes. Merrill stared at his brother, something akin to hate in his eyes. They were slanted to slits that made his entire face seem ready to scream. His mouth was pressed closed in a dead line.  
  
"Merrill," Graham gasped.  
  
"Is that his name?" Merrill's voice was a pitch he rarely used. In all his life, Graham could only remember hearing him use that voice once, and that was when Colleen had died. Merrill had ranted in that fevered pitch voice for hours. It was dark and deep with an ironic tone that sent shivers down his spine.  
  
"Merrill, what's wrong?" Graham asked, his voice unsteady.  
  
A menacing smile lit his face. He closed the refrigerator door, setting the syringe in his hand on the counter. He advanced on Graham, his smile growing.  
  
"Your little brother?" Merrill paused. "Oh yes. I see it now. He doesn't know what's happening. He just thinks it's dark."  
  
Alarm turned to horror. Graham's mind flew back to just a minute ago. /"One scientist states that he believes the aliens to be able to morph and take control of human bodies."/ No. It couldn't be Merrill. It couldn't be his brother. The aliens were gone. It was like a bad dream that had passed only to return the next night.  
  
"Don't do this," Graham said.  
  
"I like this body," the alien said. "I really do. I can talk in human dialect. This one is strong. I can feel him."  
  
"Leave him alone!" Graham screamed, anger driving him.  
  
"Daddy?" Bo came running into the room. "Uncle Merrill, what's wrong?"  
  
"Bo!" Graham grabbed her. He stared at the fire in Merrill's eyes.  
  
"Go ahead," he laughed. "I'll see you again."  
  
His blood burning, he grasped the syringe and ran into the living room. He scooped up Morgan and sprinted out to the car. He dumped them in and locked the door. "I'll be right back," he cried, running back into the house.  
  
"Merrill!"  
  
His kid brother was in the living room. "We'll see you later, Graham." His voice was covered in sarcasm. Merrill stepped back, opened the window, and crawled out of it. Graham was at the window a second later, diving through it.  
  
By the time he was out, though, Merrill was gone into the corn fields.  
  
Graham was about to follow his brother, but his mind remembered his son. He stared into the corn fields. His mind screamed with the injustice of it all. Merrill was his brother, his flesh and blood. To think an alien was controlling him was unbearable able.  
  
He would go to the police station and notify Officer Caroline Paski. She would help him.  
  
The thought in his mind, he raced back to the car.  
  
~*~  
  
"Caroline, we have to find him!" Graham voice was high with panic.  
  
The police officer just stared ahead. "Father," she said out of habit. "There are hundreds of people dead. I'm needed here. I care about Merrill, I do. I can't go with you. It's just not possible."  
  
"Caroline!' Graham's voice was tense. He was at a lost for words. She should have helped him. He couldn't lose another one. Especially not Merrill, especially not his brother. "Caroline." His voice faltered. "He's my brother."  
  
Her eyes shown with guilt. "I'm in charge here, Father. I can't just leave. It's not right. Half the squad was killed. I want to go with you. I just can't. I'm needed here."  
  
His eyes haunted, Graham retreated to the door. His voice was cold. "I understand."  
  
"You're going after him?" Her voice was alarmed.  
  
Graham just looked at her.  
  
"Your children?"  
  
Graham shrugged.  
  
"Leave them here," she demanded. "I'll put them with the Red Cross." Her face daunted, she said, "my father was killed."  
  
He lowered his head. "I'm so sorry, Caroline. I just have to find him. I can't let anything happen to him. He's. he's my brother."  
  
Caroline nodded. "I know. I'm sorry I can't help. I'm just. I'm beyond my grief and I have to help here."  
  
"It's okay."  
  
~*~  
  
"I'm leaving you with Officer Paski for a little while, okay?" Bo and Morgan looked at him solemnly. "You'll be safe with her. I just have to go out for a while, okay?"  
  
"Where are you going?" Bo asked.  
  
Graham sighed. He thought it best to tell her the truth. "I have to find your Uncle Merrill."  
  
"Where is he?"  
  
"I don't know, sweetheart. That's why I have to find him."  
  
Bo hugged him tightly. "I love you, Daddy. Come back soon."  
  
Graham kissed her head. "I love you too." He turned to Morgan. "I'll be back soon, Morgan." He gave his resting son a warm hug, and then turned to leave.  
  
"Dad?" Morgan's voice was soft.  
  
"Son." He turned back.  
  
"I don't hate you," he said slightly. "I love you."  
  
Graham's heart melted. "I love you too, Morgan. I'll be back."  
  
"Tell Uncle Merrill we love him," Bo called.  
  
/I just don't think he'll listen, Bo. I just don't think so./  
  
~*~  
  
Merrill's eyes were dead with darkness. He held up his hand in front of his face and couldn't see it. It scared him. He sat huddled in some dark cave. He could feel walls around him, so maybe it wasn't a cave but some room. He ran his hand across the wall, searching for a way out. Nothing met his hand but smooth blackness.  
  
He couldn't figure what had happened. The last thing he remembered was reaching the deck of the stairs and wandering off to the left, searching for any signs of life. He was relieved when nothing met his view, and had turned to go back. After that he drew a blank.  
  
"What happened?" he asked to gaping nothingness in front of him. Why was he here? Where was he? He should be back at the house, taking care of Graham and the kids. What was happening?  
  
Coldness was beginning to seep into his bones. He wrapped his arms around his legs and pulled them to his chest. What had happened? What had happened? The blankness in front of him was becoming vexing, for lack of a better word.  
  
"Graham!" he yelled. "Where are you?"  
  
~*~  
  
Graham sped towards his house. He would track Merrill from there. He had no insight into the alien's mind. Why had he chosen Merrill? Why had he chosen them?  
  
/Stop it!/ he ordered himself. There was no points if "whys" and "what ifs". It would lead to nothing. The only clear thing right now was to find his brother and bring him back from the monster that was controlling him. He just had to. There was no other alternative.  
  
/Where would he go?/ Graham parked his car and jumped out. He checked the house, although it proved useless. The alien was long gone. The sun was harsh on his neck as he headed towards the corn fields. There was no way to find out which way Merrill had gone. The corn fields were endless. Uncertain, he headed to the crop circle.  
  
If there's anyplace the alien would go, Graham reasoned, it would be to the circle. Maybe there he would find some clue as to where the alien was going.  
  
Once he reached the circle, his hopes inflated like a balloon. He surveyed the landscape and saw nothing but his crops. His mind screamed with the injustice of it all. He was beginning to accept his brother was being controlled by an alien, but he couldn't accept the fact that he had left no clue as to which way he was going. Frustrated, he picked up a rock and heaved it through the air.  
  
Graham collapsed to the ground. His hands clutched a stalk of bent corn. He twisted it savagely in his hands, staring at the sky, cursing anything and everyone. He tied the stalk in a loop and fastened it around a rock. Angered, he swung the stalk over his head and let it go. He watched the rock sail away.  
  
/Why did I just do that?/ he thought. Was he losing his mind? Shaking his head, he stood, deciding to continue forward. He had to start somewhere. Maybe he would find some kind of clue soon. Anything would help at the moment.  
  
Graham gritted his teeth, and uncertainly, he continued forward.  
  
~*~  
  
Bo lay on the floor of the Red Cross station, looking under the white tent to watch the people's feet as they walked by. The cement under her scraped her elbows, but she didn't care. She just wanted to watch people at the moment. She had a feeling. Something was going to happen.  
  
Morgan was lying behind her on a cot, sleeping. She wanted to crawl next to him, but her feeling forced her to stay looking out the tent. Behind Morgan's cot, she heard the steady sounds of people sleeping and crying out. Apparently, this was the sleeping tent for people to recover.  
  
Unhappily, Bo turned on his back to watch the feet. She waited like that for a while and had just about given up on her feeling when she heard a voice she recognized. Startled, she rolled back onto her stomach and stared of the tent, scarcely breathing. She saw two pairs of feet from under the tent.  
  
"I don't know," the voice said again.  
  
"People are looking for you, Merrill," a male voice said in worry. "Graham left his kids here and sped out of here in a hurry. Officer Paski said he was looking for you."  
  
"Well, I am right here," Merrill said in an odd way.  
  
"You best find Graham, than," the male voice said.  
  
"Thank you, Charles, I will do that," Bo's uncle said again in that odd way.  
  
"I'm glad you're okay," Charles said and left.  
  
Merrill's feet stayed there for what seemed like hours. Bo was bursting with happiness, but something about Uncle Merrill's voice set her on edge. Uncertain, she flipped up the tent and crawled out from under it. "Uncle Merrill!" she cried.  
  
Started, the man glanced around wildly. His gaze was unapproachable and scary. Bo wished she hadn't spoken. She tried to roll back into the tent, but Merrill spotted her and took her by the arm. He brought her to her feet and she cried out. He was hurting her!  
  
"Uncle Merrill," she gasped.  
  
"Uncle?" Merrill stared at her. He was clearly thinking. After a minute his grip relaxed and he smiled. "Bo. How are you, Bo?" His smile was more a sneer than anything else. "Where's your dad?"  
  
"Daddy left," Bo said. "He went to find you."  
  
The man's eyes focused on something in the distance. She turned and saw he was staring at Officer Paski, who was direction a man to a table. Startled, Merrill ducked so he was crouching and eye level with his niece. "We should go see Officer Paski," Bo said quietly.  
  
"Bo, listen to me," Merrill said. "I need you to come with me. Your dad's in trouble. I need to help him, and you have to help me help him. You need to come with me."  
  
"But Daddy said-"  
  
"Daddy's hurt right now, Bo. Come with me."  
  
"Morgan-"  
  
"Morgan will be safe here. I need you."  
  
Bo glanced back to the tent where Morgan was sleeping. How would he react when he woke and found her gone? Her feeling was slowly turning worst. Her stomach felt funny. Something was sending her nerves on end. Merrill's eyes held her. Was that it?  
  
"C'mon."  
  
Bo let herself be led away.  
  
~*~  
  
Morgan Hess jerked in his sleep and woke up, yawing loudly. He glanced around and saw most of the people in the tent talking. He smiled and leaned over to look for Bo. "Bo?"  
  
Morgan jumped to his feet. He couldn't see her anywhere. Quickly, he exited the tent. Morgan was good at acting in the midst of a crisis. His father always credited that with his mother. At the moment, he was just thankful he knew where to go and who to talk to.  
  
"Officer Paski!" Morgan sprinted up to her. "Officer Paski!"  
  
The woman turned and looked at him with wild eyes. She cocked her head at him. She finished her talk with Ray Reddy and turned to him. "What's the matter, Morgan?"  
  
"I can't find Bo!" Morgan's voice was panicked. "I woke up and I couldn't find her!"  
  
Ray Reddy stopped and turned back to them. "Maybe I can help," he said slowly. "You're busy here, Caroline."  
  
Morgan looked at Ray with distrust. He knew this was the man who had killed his mother, and that set the hairs on his neck tingling. At the same time, he knew by the look Officer Paski gave him that she was terribly busy with other things. He wanted her to help him, but he wasn't a Hess for nothing. He knew the other people in town needed her help, but his heart screamed at him to find Bo.  
  
"Could she have wandered off?" Officer Paski asked.  
  
"She knows better than that," Morgan said. "I told her to stay put. "  
  
"Then someone took her?" Ray inquired.  
  
"I don't know!" Morgan cried.  
  
"Okay, okay," Officer Paski said quickly. "Morgan, I don't want you wandering around alone. Would you let Ray stay with you? Just for now?" Her eyes pleaded with him to agree.  
  
Morgan eyed Ray. His chest tight, he nodded.  
  
~*~  
  
Merrill sat in his dark prison, talking to himself.  
  
"Maybe I'm in jail and this is some kind of torture they use to break down the prisoners. After this, I'll squeal on whatever it is they want and after that they'll take me to another cell where I'll get a phone call. I'll call Graham, and he'll come and bail me out. If he can't, then I'll be taken to trial, charged, and then executed.  
  
"On the other hand, if I'm not in prison, maybe someone kidnapped me. Yeah. They wanted a Minor League star and I was the only one readily available. They're asking a million dollars. Holy shit! Graham can't afford that. Why did they take me? They know Graham can't afford that! Jesus, I'm going to die! They're going to execute me!  
  
"What is it's not that either? Maybe someone else kidnapped me. Maybe some female who wants me." Merrill thought about that one. "Nah."  
  
~*~  
  
Bo held Merrill's hand as he led her towards a car parked in a deserted alleyway. "Where are we going?" She whimpered.  
  
"I'm borrowing this car." Merrill wrapped his jacket around his elbow and broke the window. Bo yelped and backed up. "Quiet!" Merrill fixed her with that glare and she stopped. Her Uncle opened the door and fiddled around in the front seat for a few minutes. Suddenly the engine came to life. "Get in!"  
  
Bo obeyed, running in and getting in the back seat. It was a gray Chevy with four doors. She snapped on her seatbelt just as Uncle Merrill slammed his foot on the gas. She was jerked back as he erupted in the street, nearly striking another car. She screamed.  
  
"Be quiet!" Merrill snapped, swirling the car around to head down Main Street.  
  
As they hissed by, she looked out the window and saw Morgan walking down the sidewalk with a man.  
  
"Morgan!"  
  
~*~  
  
Morgan Hess heard a car wave by him and snapped his head up. He looked into the street and saw Bo's face go flying past him in a gray Chevy. "BO!" he screamed, chasing after the car.  
  
"Whoa!" Ray grabbed his arm.  
  
"Let me go!"  
  
"You're not going to catch them like that, tiger," Ray said, holding him. "Someone's taken her. I don't recognize the car. Come on."  
  
"Where are we going?" Morgan hissed as they went in the opposite direction of the car.  
  
Ray opened the door to his red Suburban and sat him in it, shutting the door. He sprinted around to the driver's side and pulled the car out lightning fast. Morgan buckled his seatbelt as they cruised down the street. They saw the gray Chevy stopped at a stop sign.  
  
~*~  
  
"Stop crying!" Merrill shouted at Bo, who was screaming with tears sliding down her face. "Stop it!"  
  
"Morgan!" she yelled. "Morgan!"  
  
Then Merrill said something in a language she had heard before. She stared at him, her eyes widening. He spoke in clicks and hisses.  
  
"You're one of them!" she shrieked.  
  
Merrill stopped speaking. He stared at her, unbelieving.  
  
"No!" he yelled at no one. He looked in the rearview mirror. His eyes opened in horror.  
  
He slammed his foot on the gas and roared away.  
  
~*~ 


End file.
